by Chef Adam Lambay
Talk about cutting the carbs and finding more flavor — these kebabs are jam-packed with flavorful spices and killer taste. If you want to keep the carb count super low, ditch the naan and wrap in lettuce leaves or serve with extra Indian Summer Salad. We have separated out the carb count for the Indian Summer Salad in case you go in this direction. It’s also good as just a side dish!
Kebab Ingredients:
2 lbs Ground Lamb
1/2 lb Extra Lean Ground Beef
1 Tbsp Methi (an herb found in Asian grocery stores)
1/2 Medium Red Onion, minced
1/2 tsp Amchur Powder (mango powder found in Asian grocery stores)
1 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Fresh Gingerroot, minced or crushed
1 tsp Fresh Garlic, minced or crushed
Zest and Juice of one Lemon
10 Small Naan Bread
For Kebabs: Mix all kebab ingredients except for lemon zest, lemon juice, and naan by hand in a large bowl until well combined. Add lemon juice and zest and fold into the meat mixture. Cover tightly and let rest overnight in refrigerator.
When ready to grill the kebabs, quickly prepare your Raita and Indian Summer Salad and set aside.
Raita Ingredients:
1 Cup Fat Free, Sugar Free Greek Yogurt
1/4 Cup Minced Cucumber
1/4 Cup Minced Red Onion
1 Tbsp Minced Fresh Parsley
Mix well in a small bowl and set aside until ready to assemble the kebabs.
Indian Summer Salad Ingredients:
2 Cups Tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Cups Cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 Cup Red Onion, chopped
Juice and Zest of half a Lemon
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 tsp Whole Cumin Seed
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
Heat a small fry pan on medium. Add the whole cumin seed. When the seed starts to brown and become aromatic remove from heat. This should NOT be done with ground cumin! Whole cumin seeds allow the oils of the spice to come to the surface and caramelize. Ground cumin would burn too quickly and, in some cases, may already be toasted.
In a large bowl toss all the ingredients, including the toasted cumin seed. Adjust seasoning as needed. Set aside while you prepare the kebabs.
To prepare the Kebabs: Remove kebab mixture from the refrigerator and pull off 10 equal-sized handfuls. Squeezing with your hand, shape into a rough log. Then press a metal skewer into the meat and shape it around the skewer, forming a kebab that is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. (See the video below for visual directions.) Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet until they are all assembled. If the meat mixture gets too soft, place in the refrigerator to firm up.
Preheat grill to 400-450°F. Grill kebabs on each side for about 2 minutes, total time 8-10 minutes, until done.
Quickly grill the naan on both sides for about 30 seconds. You just want to warm and soften it up.
Carefully remove skewers from kebabs. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the Raita over one naan. Arrange sliced kebab on top of Raita. Garnish with a 2 heaping tablespoons of the Indian Summer Salad.
Serves 10 – approximately 28g net carbs per serving with 1 mini naan
Serves 10 – approximately 7g net carbs per serving without the mini naan
Indian Summer Salad as side dish serves 4 – approx. 7g net carbs per serving
Note: A Life Well Eaten follows diabetic educator guidelines for determining net carbs.
Suggested formula is total carbs minus half the fiber, i.e. 16g carbs and 4g fiber would be 14g net carbs. The food industry determines net carbs as total carbs minus fiber which would come in at 12g net carbs.